The war for LV288
by Linnafan
Summary: Three survivors of a devistating war recall the events leading up to their rescue.
1. Rescue

US Salvage ship Constellation-

"Hey Michaels I have something on the emergency channel." Anna Kristy said putting a finger to her head set trying to get a clearer transmission.

"Where is it coming from? Andrew Michaels asked.

"Not far from our current location. Judging from the strength of the transmission I'd say around right hundred miles North by Northwest."

"And what kind of transmission is it?"

"An S.O.S. Are we going to investigate?"

"Well we are a search and rescue/Salvage ship are we not? Stevenson change direction for North by Northwest."

"Aye sir." Alex Stevenson said tapping the necessary keys into the ships onboard A.I. system.

The ship leaned slightly as it turned and headed for the location of the emergency signal.

Two hours later-

"This is the US Salvage ship Constellation calling unidentified ship do you read? I say again "This is the US Salvage ship Constellation calling unidentified ship do you read?" Anna said in a direct link to the ship.

"Anything Kristy?" Michaels asked.

"Nothing. Their either in cryostats or dead."

"Well lets hope for the best."

"And what would that be sir?" Stevenson asked.

"What do you mean?

"Well sir we are a salvage ship after all and a ship like this could bring us a good payday."

"I don't believe you." Anna said. "We are talking about human lives."

Stevenson shrugged as he guided the ships air lock over the hatch to the smaller ship.

"Ok search team be ready to enter the ship as soon as we have a seal. Reaction team stand ready in case of trouble but keep your weapons on safe I don't want anyone to get shot."

"Sir we have lock." Stevenson said.

"Ok Search team move in. Williams take point."

A small group of men moved up to the air lock of the Constellation and opened it. They moved up to the door of the small ship and began cutting away the door. After a moment of blinding blue light the door fell to the ground with a metallic bang.

"Ok search team move in." Carlos Williams said.

The team moved forward slowly with motion trackers held out in front of them. There was a steady pulsing from the trackers and they all eased up a little.

"Sir nothing on the trackers." Williams said.

"What about bio readouts?"

"Checking that now sir." Tomas Kenneth said.

He brought up a large device that hung from a sling around his shoulder and started scanning the room from left to right them back again. The machine beeped several times when it passed over the two cryostats tubes but no where else.

"Sir there are three life forms in this ship." He said after looking over the read out.

"Human?"

"Unknown."

"Ok move forward and inspect the tubes." Williams said.

The search team moved forward slowly until they came to the tubes. Inside one of the tubes was a woman in her late twenties wearing Colonial Marine battle armor most of witch was melted to her chest. There was a bandage around her arm and blood was soaked through. The read out on her tube indicated that she was alive but in bad condition. The other tube contained two more females, Colonists from the look of the clothes they were wearing; they were both in their early to late twenties lying back to back.

"Now there's something you don't see often." Amy Marten said.

"What is it?" Williams asked stepping towards the tube.

"It's rather rare that two people can shear a tube and live. Something really bad must have happened to make them do that."

"Why? 'Williams asked.

"Well almost all of your cardio and pulmonary functions slow down to the point that you are barely alive and the tube regulates the functions. When their two systems in one tube the tube usually can't determine what to do and in most cases both subjects functions simply stop."

"So their all alive?" Michaels asked.

"Yes sir." Kenneth said looking at the readouts on the ships computer.

"Well there goes your paycheck." Kristy said kicking the back of Stevenson's chair.

"There will be other chances."

"Ok search team stand by and wait for medical to transport the tubes." Michaels said.

Williams and the others started looking around the ship for any clue to the ships occupants' identities. Jack Craftsmen started looking around the ship and found some kind of slime near the rear door to the ship.

"Williams take a look at this." He said.

"What did you find?"

"Some, kind of slime."

"Well don't touch it let medical fuck with it our job is finished after they get here."

As if on cue the two people in medical coats walked into the room. Without a word they walked up to the pod with the solder and tapped some keys and a computer above it came to life. It started displaying her vitals that were just above living. A young female nurse reached out and tapped a few more keys and slowly her vitals started to rise.

"Vitas are at fifteen percent." Clare Kevorkian said watching the stats.

"She's starting to bleed." Dr. Allen Anderson said as the bandages began to soak through.

"Vitals at forty percent."

"Respiration has returned to normal."

"Twenty seconds until the pod opens. Oh shit, vitals are starting to drop."

"Bring in the Gurnee."

A member of the reaction team slowly pushed a Gurnee into the room and removed all of the tools piled onto of it.

"Twenty seconds vitals down to twenty-five percent."

"Shit we're loosing her."

Dr. Anderson reached down for the electrode panels and turned the dial to three hundred volts.

"As soon as the tube opens pull her out and put her on the Gurnee and remove all of her armor and clothes I need bear skin."

"Ready for emergency hatch removal."

Four of the reaction team members grabbed each side of the tube and waited for the tube's seal to brake. Seconds later there was audible hiss from the tube as the seal broke and the Reaction team members lifted the lid and quickly slid it off to the side. They reached into the tube and pulled the solder out and placed her on the Gurnee and quickly ripped off her armor pealing away some of her skin that was melted to it.

"Jesus look at those burns." Marten said. "What did that to her?"

"Some kind of acidic burn." Kevorkian said as she went through a bag full of drugs and needles.

She administered some epinephrine and hooked her up to a portable heart monitor. The rhythm was chaotic but the epinephrine was helping to regulate it. Dr. Anderson placed the shock pads on the proper places on her chest and hit her with three hundred volts. She bucked hard almost coming off of the Gurnee and there was a sharp spike on the monitor then the rhythm went back to the chaotic rhythm again.

"Charge to four fifty." Anderson said readying for a second hit.

The panels made a whining noise as they charged.

"Clear!"

Dr. Anderson placed the pads back on her chest and hit her again. She bucked up again and the monitor spiked off the chart.

"Normal rhythm." Kevorkian said with a sigh of relief

"Get her to medical, Nurse go with her."

Kevorkian followed the Gurnee out of the ship and down the hall into medical. Dr. Anderson watched them leave then walked to the other tube with the two girls and hit the necessary keys and watched as their vitals steadily rose. It took longer with them than it did with the soldier seeing as there were two systems in the tube. The tube opened without any help from the reaction team and slowly the occupants started to come around.

"Easy now easy." Dr. Anderson said. "You're safe. You're on friendly ship."

The youngest of the two girls slowly sat up with her fire red hair plastered too one side of her head. She looked like a creature out of a monster movie than a young woman.

"I'd hate to be her husband." Williams said. "Having to wake up and see that face every morning."

There were a few chuckles in the room as she reached over and shook the girl next to her.

"Where are we?" The slender blond asked opening her eyes.

"You're on the search and rescue ship Constellation." Dr. Anderson said.

"Were you sent by the Marines?" The blond asked.

"No. We also work as a salvage ship in our down time."

"Where is Private Sanchez?"

"The soldier? She was in some real trouble but she is stabilized and is in medical."

The girls slowly got out of the tube and held on to each other for support.

"What happened to you three?" Williams asked.

"Monsters attacked our colony." The blond said. "Hundreds. We had no chance."

"Monsters?"

"They were like big bugs."

"Their delirious." Dr. Anderson said. "Probably from being in the same tube."

"It's the truth." The redhead said.

"Well what ever happened to you your safe now."

"Who are you anyway?" Williams asked.

"I'm Caroline Jackson this is Julie Caraway and the soldier is Andrea Sanchez."

"Let's get you something to eat then we'll bring you to the captain." Dr. Anderson said.

The girls followed behind the Reaction team out of the ship with Dr. Anderson trailing behind.


	2. The story begins

Caroline and Julie were lead down the main hall of the ship passing bye several doors all of which had signs telling what was behind the door. And also a map of the ship with all of the emergency exits highlighted.

"Judging by the map here this isn't really a big ship." Julie said. "Yet you have so many signs to where things are."

"Well most of this ships crew couldn't find their zippers with out help." Williams said.

"Then why are they on the ship?"

"They are all good fighters and we can get into some hairy situations in out line of business."

They were led through a door plainly marked mess hall and the smell of eggs, bacon and coffee reached them in waves. There were around twenty crew members in the mess hall talking amongst them selves. Julie and Caroline looked at each other and rushed the counter. Several crew members stepped away from the counter as they pushed past them grabbing at anything that was in reach.

"Think their hungry?" Williams asked.

"Yeah." Dr. Anderson said.

The rest of the reaction team all formed a more civilized line and waited to get their meal. Julie and Caroline sat at the nearest table with two empty chairs and started shoveling food into their mouths. Williams and Dr. Anderson soon joined them at the table with small plates of food.

"When was the last time you ate?" Dr. Anderson asked as he opened a sugar packet for his coffee.

"Well before we went into hyper sleep it was three days." Julie said.

"Three and a half." Caroline said with a mouth full of eggs.

"That's right they attacked right after lunch."

"Those bugs?" Williams asked with mock belief.

"That's right." Julie said.

Williams looked at Dr. Anderson and shrugged his shoulders. They ate the rest of their meal in silence. After Julie and Caroline had finished eating Williams led them towards the bridge to tell the captain their story.

_"Attention attention Dr. Anderson Please report to medical the soldier is coming around."_ Kevorkian said over the Ships intercom.

"Well let's go see your friend first then we can get the whole story." Williams said.

They turned around ad headed right down the hall into a door also marked clearly as the medical room and for the illiterate there was a big Red cross on the door as well. The room was solid white filled with white beds with curtains that could surround each of the beds for privacy if needed. The whole room had a kind of rubbing alcohol clean smell that is synonymous with hospital wards and dental offices. Sanchez was sitting up in a bed near the door with a hospital gown draped around her to spare her from a possibility embarrassing moment. And Nurse Kevorkian listening to her lung sounds.

"Hey Jules." She said seeing Julie walk through the door.

"I hate it when you call me that." Julie said sitting next to the bed.

"Cry baby."

"How is she?" Dr. Anderson asked.

"Well there is nothing I can do for these slashes or the burns but other than that she is in prime condition." Kevorkian said.

"Ok get her something to wear so we can go see the captain."

She was soon dressed in a spare work suit that the technicians wear when working in greasy areas in the ship. Her short brown hair was matted and missing with a few burn marks where the hair was missing.

"You look like you went through hell." Williams said.

"Not far from it." Sanchez said.

"Let's go to the bridge. The captain is waiting."

Sanchez started for the door of the medical room limping slightly from the lacerations on her right leg. The look on her face was one of pain but she was determined not to let the pain win. She was a Marine damn-it and she was going to live up to the title if it killed her. Julie walked right next to her to lend an arm if needed as they made their way to the bridge. Captain Michaels was looking over the flight recorder for the emergency ship trying to find anything that could shed some light on the situation when Sanchez and the other walked in.

"Sir here are the members from the ship we recovered." Williams said.

"Ok thank you." Michaels said. "Have a seat." Three chairs were brought over and set in front of them.

Julie stood beside the chair Sanchez was about to sit down in to be sure she didn't collapse. She sat down with a grunt and looked at Julie as if to say "Thank you."

"I've been looking over the flight recorder from the ship you were in but other than the time you were in the ship it doesn't tell me anything."

"How long were we out?" Caroline asked.

"You went into hyper sleep eighteen hours age."

"That's all?"

"You got lucky. Now can you tell me what the hell happened to you out there? Judging from the looks this young lady you have been through one hell of a fight."  
"Yes sir, we were." Sanchez said. "I'm a Colonial Marine attached to the 183 CMEU out of gateway station. We were deployed on a training mission to LV288 near the planet Ryushi. Ever since a botched rescue mission to LV426 several years ago Colony rescue simulations have become a standard part of training. And the Corp. believes that mock Missions in a real Colony is the best training for the real thing."

Michaels settled in his seat for what he knew was going to be a long story. Williams and Dr. Anderson also pulled up some chairs to listen to the story.

"We arrived at the Colony at 13:30 hours and deployed as if it was a real mission…"

Colony on LV288 four days ago-

Lt. McCarran sat behind the monitors in the APC watching everyone's movements from their shoulder mounted cameras. Sgt. Slagg took point being the only member of the team with actual combat experience followed by Corporal Sontarow then PFC McNickel. They formed the forward assault group. Pvt. Roland aka. Jinx, Pvt. Sanchez and Max the Synthetic formed the rear guard. Roland and McNickle were the newest members of the team and fresh out of Basic training. Sanchez had been with the team for almost a year and this was their first training mission as a complete unit.

"Command this is Alpha unit we are moving in on the complex."

"Rodger that Alpha unit. Roland keep your distance." McCarran said seeing that she was only two meters away from Sanchez. "Maintain a three to five meter distance."

"Yes sir." Roland said.

She moved to her right making the necessary distance. Max was watching a scanner for movement and also keeping an eye on the left flank as they moved forward towards the colony door.

The mission situation was that the colony had been taken over by revolting colonist that had broken into the small armory and stole all of the weapons. The inventory list that was obtained by HQ stated that there were seven pulse rifles with almost two hundred rounds each, twelve small caliber hand guns and fifty blasting caps used for demolition. Most of the colonists are reportedly being healed in the center of the complex however some of them had managed to barricade themselves in small rooms using furniture and heavy equipment. A small group overpowered several of the terrorists and made their way to the communication room and called for military assistance before being caught.

"Max anything on the scanners?" Slagg asked.

"Not a thing. Nothings moving." Max said.

"Ambush?" Sontarow asked.

"I don't know. But it's too damn silent." Slagg said. "Watch for anything. They may not be moving to keep the scanner from picking the up."

Suddenly the scanners picked up movement from all around the group less than twenty meters away. The whole unit saw armed men and women emerge from behind crates and out of cranes. Gunfire erupted from all directions from the Marines and Terrorists. Then just as suddenly as it began it was over. The Terrorists had won.

"Command this is Alpha unit we're all dead." Slagg said lowering his still smoking weapon.

"Nice work Alpha Unit. Hey Slagg can I have your stereo?" McCarran joked.

"Not a chance sir."

The team all stood up and dusted themselves off and looked at the advancing group of colonists. A Female with a ski mask walked up to Sanchez with a sidearm in her hands and fired one more round.

"The fucking fight is over." Sanchez said.

"You were twitching." She said pulling off her ski mask.

"Jules?"

"I hate it when you call me that." Julie said with a smile.

"You know her?" Slagg asked.

"She's my little sister." Sanchez said.

"It's been five years Andrea I'm not so little anymore."

"Yeah well I'll always be able to kick your ass."

"Yeah well I stopped dragging my knuckles on the ground a few years ago. That's reserved for cavemen like you."

Sanchez gave Julie a loud grunt before slinging her weapon over her shoulder and giving her sister a hug.

"It's been too long." Julie said returning the hug.


	3. A quick nap

Lt McCarran stepped out of the APC and headed for the group of Colonist and Marines.

"That was a wonderful display of getting your asses kicked." He said walking into the middle of the group. "Slagg you are the only one with real battle experience. Where did the mission go wrong?"

"Well sir we deployed from the APC in a textbook formation and approached the complex with caution." Slagg said.

"Yes that was all well done. But where did you go wrong?"

"Umm we didn't check the parameter before moving in."

"That's one thing but I saw two."

"Two sir?"

"Yes you relied to heavily on this."

McCarran took the scanner from Max and healed it up high for the unit to see.

"Technology is a thing of beauty when it works. But you must know how to function without it. We will be spending the next two weeks on this planet and will run as many drills as be can in that time including a live fire mission. By that mission I want all of you to be able to function without the use of any technology save for your weapons. Now you have exactly one and one half hours until the next simulation find accommodations for the next week and take a nap or whatever you want just be out here no later than 14:20. You are dismissed."

The unit all walked into the complex with their weapons slung over their shoulders. Sanchez was walking beside Julie talking about everything they had missed over the past five years.

"Wait one damn minute." Julie said stopping in her tracks. "Sanchez? You got married and never bothered filling me in?"

"I sent a message back home but you were out at a colony and I had no way of finding you." Sanchez said. "And besides I can do what ever I want and not tell you."

"Well I'm happy for you."

"Yeah I always was the lucky one with love. Unlike a specific sister who never liked the guys I brought home and never did have a boyfriend."

"Hey lay off. Besides I'm "Romantically" involved with someone here on this planet."

"What is he blind? Or are you holding a gun to his head?"

Julie healed out her hands palms up showing that she was unarmed.

"Takes me for who I am."

"Blind." Sanchez said nodding her head and started walking again.

"Oh kiss my ass." Julie laughed and ran to catch up with her.

They continued walking through the complex to the residential district. Little kids were running through the halls being chased by their babysitters or parents.

"So where are you staying?" Julie asked.

"With you."

"What? Says who?"

"I do."

"Bullshit." Julie laughed.

"Bullshit nothing. You have no choice I need somewhere to stay, my little sister lives in the complex so it makes since that I shack up with her."

Julie stopped again and put her hands on her hips.

"If you say anything about my lover I'm going to rip your hair out by the roots and feed them to you."

"Love to see it."

Julie sighed and walked passed her sister leading the way to her small room. It was only the size of a medium bedroom about twenty-five by twenty-five feet with a queen size bed, couch and a TV in the room. The kitchen was not separated from the room by any walls what so ever. There was a small closet that acted like the bathroom with a clothes line strung through the middle.

"Oh lovely." Sanchez said picking up a pair of pink panties off the floor.

"I wasn't expecting company." Julie said grabbing the panties and throwing them in an overflowing hamper.

"Well it's a good thing I'm not claustrophobic. I'd go nuts in this small room."

"It's just fine for the two of us."

"I bet it's just a cozy little love nest."

Sanchez looked at her watch and decided that after the long flight to the planet she had just sat through it was a good idea to get some sleep.

"Hey Jules wake me up in an hour would you."

"I hate it when you call me that."

Sanchez took off her combat armor leaving her dressed only in her BDU's and set it beside the couch. She took a deep breath as she flopped down on the couch. She could hear Julie move through the room and open the door.

'Nothing's changed about her.' She thought before falling asleep.

45 minutes later-

"Hey Andrea wake up." Julie said shaking the whole couch. "I want you to meet someone."

"Get lost."

"Wake up!"

Sanchez reached down to her armor and pulled out her handgun and pointed it at Julie without opening her eyes.

"Their blanks." Julie said taking the weapon. "Give me a hand."

Sanchez wasn't paying attention to what was going on around her and the next thing she knew she was on the floor with the couch on top of her.

"Hey what the hell?" Sanchez said kicking the couch off of her and standing up.

"You said she was hard to wake up." A woman said.

Sanchez turned around and saw Julie standing next to a woman with short red hair that was spiked up. She was around four inches taller than Julie wearing a jumpsuit that was covered with dirt.

"Andrea this is my friend Caroline Jackson. She is the chief engineer of the colony.

"Witch one of you tipped the couch?" Sanchez asked.

"We both did." Caroline said.

"If I didn't have to get ready for the next training mission I'd flush you both down the toilet."

"She seems, nice." Caroline said.

"Wait until you get to know her. "She 's much worse."

"Well I get to get back to work. Join me for some beers later?"

"Love too."

Julie and Caroline walked towards the door as Sanchez was tipping the couch back upright. She picked up one of the cushions and turned around to throw it at them. The pillow slipped from her hand and fell to the floor when she saw a young man in the doorway. Caroline gave him a wave and walked out and Julie wrapped her arms around him and tiptoed to kiss him.

"So how did the assault go?" He asked with his arms still around her.

"They never had a chance."

"How could they with you leading the attack."

"And who is this hunk?" Sanchez asked walking up to them.

"Oh Tommy this is my sister Andrea Sanchez. Andrea this is Tommy Kerkmen my boyfriend."

He was dressed like Caroline only he had more dirt. However through all of the dirt on his face and in his hair Sanchez could see his black short cut hair and handsome facial features.

"Not bad Jules and to think all this time I thought you were a lesbian."

"Hardly."

Tommy laughed and walked past them and into the bathroom to get cleaned up.

"So why are you home so early?" Julie asked.

"Well I was over in sector three inspecting the area they want to build the recreation center when I saw something move behind a pile of rocks. I drove my hover bike over to the rocks to see what it was and saw the biggest damn spider I've ever seen in my life. I was going to try and kill it then bring it back but it jumped at me. I fell off of the bike and must of hit my head because I came too a few hours later."

"Are you ok?"

"My head hurts a little and my throat is a little sore but that's all."

"And what happened to the spider?"

"It was gone. And I didn't want to look for it so I took the rest of the day off."

The door to the bathroom opened and he walked out drying his face. The skin under his eyes was a little black and he looked exhausted. He walked over to the bed and flopped down.

"Now I'm going to catch a quick nap I'm beat."

"Ok well I have to go setup the next ambush."

"Thanks for the heads up." Sanchez laughed strapping on her armor again.

"Anytime."

Julie walked to the bed and kissed Tommy as he was trying to go to sleep then headed for the door.

"Let him sleep come on."

Sanchez shouldered her rifle and picked her sidearm up off of the table where Julie had set it and followed her out of the room.

"Well I guess I should go to the meeting point and wait for the rest of the unit."

"Ok looking forward to killing you again."

"That was luck."

"Yeah well we will just have to see about that."

Sanchez headed for the front gates of the complex and Julie went the other way to set up the attack.

Front gate-

Sanchez walked into the open area where the first skirmish was fought and was met by Roland who was just pick herself off the ground.

"What happened to you?" Sanchez asked.

"Some teenagers just blazed past me in a hover craft and I lost my balance."

"Nice one."

They both walked over to some crates and sat down and waited for the rest of the unit to arrive. Within twenty minutes the whole unit was gathered around the crates.

"Ok we are continuing like the first assault never happened. So this is the situation." McCarran said. "The Terrorist have fallen back to a cave two miles north of our current location. They have taken some hostages with them and are threatening to kill them if we make a move on them."

"Sir what if we circle around them and move in from their blind spot." Sontarow said looking through the maps that were spread out on the crates.

She pulled out a topographic map showing the lay of the land in terms of elevations down to the finest detail.

"Right here sir. It looks like there is a wash way leading up to the cave.

"That could work." McCarran said.

"Wait sir here is something else." Max said studying the map. "It looks like there is another entrance to the cave. It's about a mile away from the main entrance. They may not know about that."

"It's worth a shot sir." Slagg said.

"Ok Alpha Unit will approach from the east and arrive at the alternate cave entrance. Try not to get killed this time."

The unit laughed for a moment before heading for the cave in a large hovercraft.


	4. Hail to the Queen

The hover craft made its way to the cave as swiftly as they could go and soon the unit wiled out and began to secure the area. There was a hover craft already at the cave an from the look of it it had just arrived.

"That's the craft that knocked me over." Roland said.

"It looks like there are others in this cave beside the terrorists." Sontarow said.

"All right lets move out." Slagg said.

Alpha unit slowly approached the eastern cave entrance watching the rock formation off to the right of the cave. Slagg was leading the formation again only this time they were moving slower than the first mission.

"Roland do I have to say it?" McCarran asked.

"No sir." Roland said and moved away from Max.

"Make sure you watch that spacing."

"Yes sir."

Max had his eyes on the scanner but as before it wasn't picking up anything.

"Ok there is only place they can ambush us from." Slagg said and that's the rocks over there so watch them and move into the cave."

Half of the unit turned their weapons towards the rocks as they covered the final fifty meters to the cave. The cave was pitch black and the walls seemed to absorb the lights from the shoulder lamps they all had they followed some fresh foot prints through the cave and it led them right to a junction. One way led deeper into the cave and the other way led towards the west entrance. The foot prints headed deeper into the cave so the unit went in the other direction knowing that they didn't have to worry about any surprises..

"Man there must be a hot spring in here." Sontarow said. "It's humid as hell."

"Well maybe later we can come back just the two of us." McNickle said.

"Oh yeah like that's going to happen."

"What you don't like me?"

"I'd rather eat my own hand."

"Ok you two cut the chatter or you be to busy doing push ups to think of anything else." McCarran said.

"Yes sir." They both said.

"Sir this is Alpha unit we are at a junction it looks like it will take us to the west entrance." Slagg said.

"Ok proceed slowly. There might be traps and this time watch for an ambush."

"Yes sir." Slagg said. "Ok go to inferred people."

The unit pulled down a visor that covered their right eye showing everything that radiated heat. They moved towards the west entrance watching for anything moving through their inferred sights.

"Take it slow. They don't know we're here, let's keep it that way." Slagg said.

They continued to move slowly through the cave with Max watching the scanner for any movement around them. Now and then the scanner picked up movement on the far end of the scanners range then it was gone.

"I don't like this." Sontarow said. "We should be nearing the entrance of the cave and I don't hear a thing."

"Are you expecting them to be singing?" Slagg asked.

"It's just creepy."

"Ok continue on." McCarran said.

"Yes sir." Slagg and Sontarow said.

Suddenly the scanner picked up movement twenty meters in front of them.

"Movement twenty meters to the front." Max said. "That's right near the entrance of the cave."

"Ok people move slowly." Slagg said.

There was a sharp curve in the cave fifteen meters from the entrance. The unit stopped and looked around the corner.

"This is Alpha unit. We have found the remaining terrorists." Slagg said.

"Rodger that Alpha unit." McCarran said. "How many are there?"

"I count ten, three towards the rear two in the middle and five sitting at the entrance of the cave. I also see around eight hostages."

"Proceed with caution there might be more of them."

They slowly moved around the corner and were coming up on the three terrorists nearest to them, Slagg, Max and Sontarow were coming up behind them intending on taking them down silently. There had their weapons around their shoulders and were reaching for them when the was the sound of rocks sliding down and a grunt. Sanchez looked back and saw Roland lying on the ground after slipping on some loose rocks.

"Behind us!" A woman yelled. All of the terrorists turned around and began shooting with no regard for the other terrorists or hostages.

The unit took down the three terrorists in the back and both in the middle. However they never saw the two terrorists that were hiding behind some rocks a little ways back down the tunnel until they opened fire.

"That's twice." Jane said after the gunfire had ended.

"How the hell did you come up behind us without the scanner knowing?" Sanchez asked.

"We waited for the gunfire to start then we ran up." Julie said.

"Well at least we took some of them down this time." Roland said.

"Yeah and if you wouldn't have slipped then we would have gotten them all." Sanchez said.

"Looks like the Jinx strikes again." McCarran said.

"I'm not a Jinx." Roland said. "Those rocks were loose."

"Ok return to the colony that's all of the ass kicking your going to get today."

"Yes sir." They all said and headed back down the tunnel towards the junction.

Thirty minutes later-

The unit and colonists returned to the colony and headed right for their accommodations to relax.

"Andrea over here." She yelled as soon as the unit walked into the complex.

"Sir?" Sanchez asked looking at him.

"Ok go have fun." McCarran said.

The team all breathe a sigh of relief and headed off through the complex.

"Hey lets join Caroline at the bar for some beers." Julie said.

"Don't you want to be with your boyfriend?"

"He hates to drink. Let's go."

Julie grabbed Sanchez by the hand and drug her off towards the only bar in the complex. It was still early in the day so the bar wasn't too crowded. But the masses would be getting off of work soon and the place would be flooded with miners and workers. Julie and Sanchez sat at the bar drinking beers until Caroline came and joined them.

Julia's studio fifteen minutes later-

Tommy awoke feeling worse than he did when he went to sleep and his chest was tight and burning. He got to his feet and walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

'Maybe the hot water will help.' He thought as he climbed in.

He leaned his head on the tile under the shower head and tried to relax but the burning in his chest was turning into pain.

Bar-

"Ok Jules you got to tell me. How did you and Tommy meet?" Sanchez asked.

"Well we were still working on the residential section. I was trying to lift a steel beam with a loader but I was never formally trained so I wound up bending the hell out of it. Tommy was the foremen at the time and he came over yelling and cussing up a storm. He was right in my face yelling "If you didn't know how to work a fucking loader then you should of should ask for help or stay the hell off of it and let someone else work it." Julie said trying to mimic his voice.

"Sounds like a nice guy."

"Yea we got off on the wrong foot, literally."

"What do you mean?"

"I stomped on his foot."

Julie had a smug almost proud of herself look on her face when she said that last part and Sanchez couldn't help but laugh and wound up shooting beer out of her nose and all over the counter. The site of her choking on beer made Julie and Caroline laugh out loud as she started to mop up the beer.

Studio-

Tommy fell back against the back of the shower grabbing at his chest and grunting in pain. Something was moving, moving in his chest.

Bar-

"And after the day was over I was in the bar brooding over how much of a jerk he was when he sat down next to me." Julie said. "He said that he was sorry that he yelled at me like that, her said that he was just having a bad day and that was just the preverbal straw."

"Awe how sweet of hem to apologize after you smashed his foot." Sanchez said.

"Yea well I had to apologize too. We sat drinking beers for around an hour until he had to take off. I watched him walk away and couldn't help but feel a little bad seeing him limp slightly."

"You always did have a mean streak."

"Like I said I only felt a little bad."

Studio-

Tommy was groaning through clinched teeth as the pain in his chest grew unbearable. He started grabbing at his chest and could feel movement. He dug his finger nails down his chest pealing up skin trying to get at the pain in his chest. He let out a piercing scream as his sternum cracked and something pushed upwards in his chest.

Bar-

"So how did he ask you out?" Sanchez asked.

"It was about a month later. We were getting off work and I was heading for the bar as usual." Julia said. "He ran up behind me and asked if the first round could be on him."

"And that's all it took?"

"Yeah I kind of liked him and I thought it was a perfect chance to get to know him better."

"How long have you been dating?"

"Over a year now. And I'm waiting for him to purpose."

"Hey it's getting late and I have an early mission in the morning." Sanchez said.

"Yea what the hell I want to see how Tommy is doing anyway."

Studio-

Screams filled the bathroom as Tommy lay on the tiled floor. Blood was starting to flow from his mouth and the scratches on his chest. There was a bulge in his chest that pushed out them receded again and again. Finally with a sharp push Tommy's chest ripped open spraying blood on the walls and the shower curtains. He shook violently for a few more seconds before he died. A large worm stood in the hole as the hot water sprayed down on top of it. There was a crest on its head making it look almost like a crown from the Zen Dynasty. It screeched several times before climbing out of the hole and jumping out of the shower. The door was closed and the only other way out of the room was a heating vent by the door. The worm ran towards the vent and slammed into it. A little blood splattered from the worm as the slits in the vent dug into its already hardened flesh and landed on the vent.

The worm flopped around on the ground for a few seconds then got back to its feet. The metal over the vent was melting away and there was a hole big enough for it to get through and it was gone.

"Honey we're back." Julie yelled as they walked through the door of the studio.

"Sound's like he's in the shower." Sanchez said as she started to unbuckle her armor

"I'm going to go see how he's doing."

Julie walked to the door and knocked once then opened it and walked in closing the door behind her. Sanchez had just sat on the couch to toke off her shin armor when Julie screamed. Sanchez pulled her knife out of her boot and ran into the bathroom. Julie was on the floor near the shower cradling Tommy's head in her arms. Sanchez stepped back when she saw the hole in his chest. Julie was crying as she rocked Tommy back and forth. Sanchez ran back to her armor and quickly snapped it back on and picked up her pulse rifle and ejected the magazine of blanks and slapped a live magazine in. The counter on the weapon went from zero to thirty and the weapon was hot. She went back in to the bathroom and put her hand under Julie's arm.

"Come on." She said.

"No." Julie cried.

"Now!" Sanchez said pulling at Julies arm. "Who ever did this could still be around."

Julie slowly laid Tommy's head on the floor and stood up. Sanchez led her out of the bathroom and into the living room and sat her on the bed. Julie was in shock and looking into nothingness. Sanchez pulled a jacket out of the closet and wrapped it around Julies shoulders. She opened the door and looked out before helping Julie to her feet and starting down the hall to operations where Lt. McCarran would be.

Heating system-

The worm made its way through the air ducts heading towards the parameter of the complex. There was nothing covering the exit and the worm slipped out and fell the few feet to the ground and headed east across the ground and into equipment shed. It found a corner of the shed and curled up and slowly started to grow.


End file.
